Slow-Cooked Beef and Vegetable Stew

Why This Works for Intermittent Fasting

Slow-cooked beef stew is one of the most satisfying meals to break a long fast with. The combination of protein from chuck beef, collagen from bone broth, and fat from ghee creates a deeply satiating meal that keeps hunger away for hours — ideal if you're eating once a day or within a narrow 4–6 hour window. Courgette and mushrooms add volume and micronutrients without meaningfully raising carbohydrates.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg beef chuck, cut into 4cm cubes
• 2 tbsp ghee (or butter)
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 250g mushrooms (button or chestnut), halved
• 2 medium courgettes (zucchini), cut into 2cm chunks
• 1 small turnip, peeled and diced (about 200g)
• 500ml (2 cups) beef bone broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional — check label)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. Pat the beef cubes completely dry with paper towel and season generously with salt and black pepper.
2. Heat ghee in a large, heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering.
3. Sear the beef in batches — do not crowd the pan. Brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and celery to the same pot and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until softened and the fond (browned bits) on the base start to lift.
5. Add garlic and tomato paste. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
6. Return all the beef to the pot. Add bone broth, Worcestershire sauce (if using), thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
7. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 hours — or transfer everything to a slow cooker set to LOW for 6–8 hours.
8. In the final 30 minutes of cooking, add mushrooms, courgette, and turnip. Replace lid and continue cooking until vegetables are just tender and beef is pull-apart soft.
9. Remove bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary sprigs. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Slow cooker note: Sear the beef in a separate pan before adding to the slow cooker — this step builds flavour that low-and-slow cooking alone cannot replicate.

Nutrition Per Serving

Fasting Compatibility

This stew is ideal for breaking a 16–24 hour fast. It's rich enough to satisfy fully in one sitting while remaining low-carbohydrate, making it compatible with 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, and OMAD protocols. The collagen from the bone broth also supports gut lining repair — a benefit during extended fasting periods.

Related Recipes

• Garlic butter steak with roasted asparagus
• Ground beef bowl with cauliflower rice and herbs
• Pan-seared scallops with garlic butter and greens

This recipe is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.